The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-08-17
TONES DEBUT.
4" He Bounded l0tO the Arena Like a
Black-Maned Numidian Lion"
Louisville Courier Journal,
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Louisville Courier Journal
The first evidence of the coming power
of this remarkable man was exhibited at
Wilmington, q small village in Abbeville
district (as the present counties were then
called), South Carolina. General McDuffie,
the only representative of Demosthenes in
this country since Patrick Henry, lived
near here. McDuffie was hansssed light
ming. He forged the chain of logic at a
white heat. He was the most nervous,
imprisoned and thrilling tribune of the
people of that day. He demonstrated the
political problems as Euclid did geometry,
while foaming at the mouth and screaming
like painted Creek Indian. He had
married the only daughter of Dick Single
ton, the celebrated millionaire turfman
and rich planter, and he owned four hund.
red slaves and made eight hundred bales
of cotton year. He had been q member
of congress, governor OF South Carolina,
and was afterwards United States senator.
The people, before making up their minds
on any political question, would say ''Mr.
McDutie is going 10 speak az Morrow's old
field two weeks from now, and will wait
till / hear him. and there they would
come forty and fifty miles and camp out
the night before to hear him, and his
speech would decide the politics of the en-
tire country once year. On this Willing
ing-mouthed Bob Toombs was coming over
to meet him" Four thousand people were
there when that rash young Georgian cross
ed the Savannah to meet the lion in his
den, to beard the Douglas in his halls.
Toombs rode horse, and it was remarked
that his shirt bosom was stained with
tobacco Juice. Yet he was one of the hand
soonest men that ever had the seal of genius
on his brow. His head was round as the
al oil ho hnn cfr ofUhf
black hair hung in profusion over his am
pie, marble forehead. He had as many
teeth as shark, and they were whittier
than ivory. His eyes were black as death
and bigger than an oX's. His step was as
graceful as the wildcats, and yet he weigh
ed two hundred pounds. His presence cap
tivated even the idolators of George Nc
DUfie. He bounded into the arena like
black named Numidian lion from the IN.
known deserts of middle Georgia, to reply
to the Olympian Jupiter of the upcoun-
Try of the proud Palmetto state.
1t was the most memorable
overthrow that McDufie ever sus-
tanned. This was in the Harrison-Van
Buren, election of 1910. His argument, his
invective, his overbearing torrent OF IRE
weren't denunciation, is tradition in that
country even now. McDufe said: 81
have heard John Randolph, OF Ronoke
and met Tristan Burgess, OF Rhode Island,
but this wild Georgian is the Mirabeau Of
the age" After that South Carolina ad.
mitted that Georgia was something more
than the refuge of South Carolina fugitives
from justice. This was the beginning of
Toombs' immortal southern fame.
Since the recent death of ex-senator r.
M. I. Hunter, of Virginia, Senator Rea-
gan, of Texas, and Ex-Governor 7. II.
Watts, of Alabama, are the only surviving
members of Mr.. Davis's cabinet. Regain
was Postmaster.Gen and Watts Attor.
ney-General. Al Montgomery. Ala, there
was a secret session of the cabinet to see
whether we should lombard Fort Sumter.
Toombs was the Secretary of State and
was regarded as the most rash, head
strong and violent man in
the ConfederacY. While in the pres
eRce of Mr.. Davis, the balance of the Cabi-
net gave their opinions in favor of the
bombardment. Mr.. Toombs was, as was
his custom, pacing the floor. When IL
came his turn to express his opinion, to
the anszemert of all, he vehemently op-
posed the attack, and made one of the
most remarkable speeches of all his Lite in
opposition to ii. He said it would be the
doom OF the Confederacy. He said: Let
Charleston go. Give up Sumpter. Let it be
provisioned, but never explode the volcano
that is under our feet He said It was
suicide and madness and would lose us
every friend in all the north, and exhib-
tied all his magnificent powers in oppo-
sition to the attack. He said: Mr.. Presi
dent, you win vantonly strike hornets